This application relates generally to secure coupling of medical devices and more specifically relates to secure coupling of components in mechanical circulatory support systems.
Ventricular assist devices, known as VADs, are implantable blood pumps used for both short-term (i.e., days, months) and long-term applications (i.e., years or a lifetime) where a patient's heart is incapable of providing adequate circulation, commonly referred to as heart failure or congestive heart failure. According to the American Heart Association, more than five million Americans are living with heart failure, with about 670,000 new cases diagnosed every year. People with heart failure often have shortness of breath and fatigue. Years of living with blocked arteries or high blood pressure can leave your heart too weak to pump enough blood to your body. As symptoms worsen, advanced heart failure develops.
A patient suffering from heart failure, also called congestive heart failure, may use a VAD while awaiting a heart transplant or as a long term destination therapy. In another example, a patient may use a VAD while recovering from heart surgery. Thus, a VAD can supplement a weak heart (i.e., partial support) or can effectively replace the natural heart's function. VADs can be implanted in the patient's body and powered by an electrical power source inside or outside the patient's body.
As VAD systems continue to develop and are more widely used, the importance of reliability continues to increase. One area for potential improvement can be found in the establishment of initial communication (pairing) between two wireless devices. In instances when a secure connection is desired, a set of security keys or other unique identifiers can be required. However, use of such security keys can require human interaction with the devices, or can require the transmission of the keys between devices. Alternatively, some devices include a display that is used to provide a text string corresponding to a security key. This can be read by a human operator and can be entered into another device. However, this can be impractical as it requires human intervention and allows for the possibility of human error in entering the security key. Thus, new methods, systems, and devices that will improve coupling of the VAD systems and/or of other devices are desired.